Showers
by Hermione L. Granger
Summary: Hermione's been saved by her two best friends. Voldemort returns. R/Hr. I figured out the chapter thing...go me.
1. Showers

Showers 

By Hermione L. Granger 

DISCLAIMER: b/s, b/s, b/s, these ain't me characters, leave me alone. 

Hermione stepped into her shower, and felt the warm water flood down her back. She closed her eyes, taking in the waters. She hadn't had a shower in 7 days. Of course, she could of been sensable and used the witchs and wizards way out, just a few hocus pocus words, and you looked and smelled as good as new. Almost everyone had picked up the habit of muttering the words just before bed, so Hermione always had the shower to herself. It had of course, been quite a fixer-uper, but her magic had cleaned out the mud and filth. 

Falling back into her thoughts, she remembered her two best friends. Harry Potter and Ron Weasley. Harry had always been the brother type, now that they faced their fifth year at Hogwarts, he was always there for her. Or had been. Everytime she began overworking herself, or stressed out about the rules, or even when she just needed to cry, he was always there for her. 

And Ron. Ron had started out as a friend, turned opponite. They had constantly fought over what was right. But slowly and surely Ron had helped her open up, and taught her that breaking the rules wasn't always so bad. He had even turned into something more than a friend, someone she could learn to love. Or could of. Hermione rested her head against the wall, feeling the water rush over her head, trying to wash away the pain. Had it only been a week? The year long hours had made it seem longer. 

**** 

The whole school screamed as the blinding green shot out of the far wall. The trio immediatly recognized it as Voldemort. Who else? But how had he come back into power so quickly? Dumbledore later told her that he had drank the blood of a perfect hippogriff. Voldemort had drank Buckbeak. 

Of course Hermione had stood up, prepared to fight the dark lord. Hary could noway beat him on his own. But just has she prepared to help him, she felt Harry take her by the sholders and shove her violently into Ron. 

"Harry?!" 

"Take her and run Ron, I'll try to hold off Voldemort," Harry breathed, then took off toward the light. 

"Right," Ron replied, then pushed Hermione onto the floor, pulling her along as he climbed toward the doors, where many students had already fled. Glancing behind her as Ron pulled her out of the door, she saw Harry fall back against the wall, head cracking. Turning to run to him, she felt Ron pull her arm. 

**** 

Why Harry? Hermione let the streams of water hit her face, washing off where the tears had been. But then that had been a dumb question. Of course Harry, with his parents, his harridatage, and of course that scar. A better question that had risen to her mind was why her? Why had Harry let Voldemort deffeat him, just to save Hermione. And Ron of course. But he had failed at that too. 

**** 

"Don't look back Hermione!" Ron yelled above the screaming of the rest of the school. They had all flooded out into the halls. Feeling her arm being pulled into the lesser crowded hallways, she could feel the tears forming in her eyes. Pulling her into another corrider where there was no one, Ron broke into a run. 

"Wait, Ron!" Hermione screamed, following him. She was tripping over herself with tears. But they suddenly vanished as she ran into the block infront of her. 

"Ron!!" she screamed before she was shot back. 

**** 

Why, oh why had she called him back. Hermione sat down in the shower, and made the sound of crying, felt like she was crying, only missing tears. She had no more. 

**** 

"Hermione!!" Ron had yelled as he ran back. She could see him running back towards her, and throwing himself infront of the blast set for kill. Taking it right in the chest, Ron fell into a heap in front of her. 

"I'm sorry," he muttered before the breath left him. 

**** 

There was always why. Always the questions on what she could of done differently. It had all been her fault, the attack....it was meant for her, not Harry. That much Dumbledore was sure of. The blasts, hitting Ron and Harry, never her. Why not her? 

**** 

Hermione had blacked out for a moment, and found Proffesor McGonagall towering above her, the first look of fear the young girl had ever seen in her eyes. Behind her, Dumbledore was over the dark lord, and beyond that she could see Hagrid carring Ron and Harry to the medicine room. She struggled to get up and follow them. No one stopped her. 

Madam Pomfrey had wanted her out. She didn't want Hermione to see the boys, to have to think about them. But Hermione refuesed to leave, and Dumbledore had given her permission to stay. For four days she sat inbetween their beds, watching them in their comas. She didn't sleep, she didn't eat, she just waited. Never giving up hope, even after Dumbledore shook his head on the fourth day, and ushered her out. He never thought they'd make it. 

However, Hermione still clinged to hope, and had spent the past three days in the halls outside of the medicine room. No one had the heart to move her, until McGonagall had come up to her on the seventh day. 

"Ture friendship.....never seen anything like it....poor child, too see both of them...."McGongall kept muttering as she pulled the tear stained, ragged form of Hermione back to Gryffindor. She remembered being pulled through the hole, and facing the Weasleys. The twins were in a chair, not making noise, or causing any confussion at all, as they usually were. Ginny sat in a chair, being comforted by the other girls she had clung too, and her boyfriend, Jacob Tonson. They looked as if they hadn't done a very good job. 

The entire dorm stared at Hermione as she was pushed upstairs. McGonagall put her in her room, still muttering about friendship, but spoke loudly enough to tell Hermione to shower and sleep. And too eat something. 

So Hermione took a shower first. She finally rinsed the condition out of her hair, and stepped out of the shower, pulling her bright red bathrobe around her. She used a towel to ruffel her brown hair, that had become more and more strait as time went on. Slowly moving back to her dorm, she pulled on her night shirt, and fell into bed, setting the alarm for an hour later. Hermione fell fast asleep. 

**** 

No one in the dorm was happy when Hermione's alarm sprang off at 1 AM. Sleeply, Hermione rolled over, and pulled on a pair of muggle clothes, jeans, and a sweater Mrs. Weasley had made. Forcing back the urge to break down, she stumbled down the stairs. 

She felt horrible for the Weasley's. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley couldn't be reached, they had to go on an undercover assignment, and wouldn't be back for a few weeks. Of course the Dursleys hadn't responded to any of the owls, all the better for them that Harry was practacally dead. As Hermione climbed out of the hole, she ran right into Ginny. 

"The boys.." was all she managed to get out as Hermione took off, full tilt for the medicine room, pushing Ginny behind her. She was flying so fast she couldn't even feel her feat touch the ground. She turned the corner, and burst into the room, and began to wiggle her way through the crowd around the boys beds. The twins, Harry's Quidditch team, all of the professors. A smal crowd formed, letting her burst through, and letting her see Harry and Ron's smiling faces. 

'They did it,' Hermione thought as everything turned black and she hit the floor. 


	2. Showers part 2

Part 2 

A/N: Okay, this one had pretty much no action. It's mainly flashbacks, romance, and explaining. But read it!!! Thanks!! 

Disclaimer: don' own nuttin 

"I knew she'd pass out, Dumbledore, I told you she should of had bed rest, my goodness," Madame Pomfrey almost yelled as she pushed her way towards Hermione. Ron and Harry both watched with amazed expressions as Pomfrey used a quick charm to drop Hermione into the bed next to Ron's. Harry was on the other side. 

"Honestly, wouldn't sleep for a minute, had to stay here..." she kept muttering as she began to check Hermione over. 

"Didn't sleep?" Ron asked suspiciously. 

"Or eat," said a small voice from the back of the room. The crowd parted to reveal Ginny, who had returned once she had talked to Hermione. 

"Everytime I brought her food, she'd just barely take a few bites then put it down, sometimes she wouldn't touch it at all," she continued. 

The whole crowd thought that Madame Pomfrey would pass out her face turned so red, "out, Out, OUT!!!!" she screamed, "I want every single one of you out this minute, including you Dumbledore!!" 

No one had ever heard Pomfrey's voice that high, so the whole crowd backed out of the room, completely petrified. Ron and Harry exchanged warning glances, and then both looked over at Hermione as Pomfrey pulled a curtain around her. For several minutes they could hear the sound of charms coming from Pomfrey's voice, and neither dared to speak, for fear of being cursed by her. 

Almost a full half hour later, the curtain was pulled back to reveal Hermione attached to an IV, pumping nutrition back into her system. Ron flinched when he saw that, remembering Hermione telling him her big fear of needles. 

"I don't even like sewing, just the thought that it might prick me.."were her exact words that ran through his mind. He closed his eyes and leaned back. He was upset with her, but more afraid for her. He and Harry had both risked their lives for her, and she had almost killed herself in sorrow? 

"Damnit," he muttered allowed. 

"I know, I can't beleive she almost killed herself over us," Harry replied, picking up on Ron's thoughts immediately. He then shook his head, rolling over onto his side. The fight had warn both of them out, and even though they were recovering quickly, both still needed rest. 

**** 

"Harry!" Ron could remember Hermione's smiling face as if it had been yesterday. They were returning to Hogwarts for their fourth year, and Ron had met up with Harry, his cousin, and his uncle. Dudley was far worse than Ron could have imagined. Dudley had just finished saying how some beautiful thing was running towards them, when they heard Hermione's yelp. And with the look on Dudley's face, it was apparent she was the one he had been talking about. 

Dudley's face turned even redder when Hermione jumped into Harry's arms, wrapping her legs around his waist and her arms around her neck. He had grown a fair amount over the summer, and could catch her. 

"Hey, forgetting someone?" Ron had said in an innocent voice, and Hermione turned to look at him. 

"Of course not Weasley,"she said with a sickeningly sweet voice. As the three burst out laughing, she hugged Ron, with her legs still wrapped around Harry. Then she had let go, letting Ron spin her in a circle. 

"Missed ya," he said with a grin. 

"Awwww," she said, and then turned to Dudley. "Hello," she said with such contempt that even Harry flinched. She let go of Ron, and for the first time, he really got a look at her. She had grown up. He supposed she had been last year as well, but this was the first time he really noticed. 

"We, we were just leaving," Dudley muttered, frightened by the beauty in front of him. 

"Of course," she replied in the same voice. She stood there, hands on hips, until the Dursley's vanished from sight. Then, she whipped around, a smile on her face. 

"This is going to be a great year." 

**** 

And it had been. Ron had loved every minute of it, every second he, Harry, and Hermione had spend together. Always fighting with Malfoy, and his evil goons. To Ron's surprise and awe, Hermione had also buffened up that summer, and had knocked Malfoy out cold without her wand. 

**** 

"Aw, look, it's the little Mudblood," Malfoy had cooed into Hermione's ear right behind her. She whipped around, her eyes staring daggers into the short little man in front of her. 

"Go to hell Malfoy," she sneered, then pushed him into a corridor, out of sight of the other students and teachers. She followed, shutting the door behind her. 

"I'm sick of you messing with me, let's get this over with," she said, throwing off her bulky cover robe. 

"Right," Malfoy purred, but a sickening punch hit him square in the jaw before he could mutter anything else. He had gotten back up, ready to come around for another punch, when Hermione's foot landed strait in the stomach, sending him backwards into a wall, where he laid there unconscious. Hermione muttered some quick words that would heal his wounds, but leave the pain. He deserved some reminder. 

**** 

Ron remembered how her face had glowed when she told him and Harry the story. It was one of her favorites. He lazily turned over to look at her, her soft brown hair, her skin that showed only a hint of a tan. She was beautiful, Ron wouldn't deny that. 

**** 

"Don't you dare laugh at me," Hermione had called before she had descended down the stairs. A new club had opened up in Hogsmeade, and the three of them planned on going. 

"We won't," both boys promised together with a grin. A grin that only got larger when they saw her. This was one of the few times they saw her in muggle clothes, which she did prefer over her wizarding outfits, even though she didn't get many chances to express that. 

Hermione's brown hair had been smoothed out, and danced carelessly around her face. She sported no makeup, save some lipstick and mascara, which had been forced onto her by Lavender. She wore a man's blue collared shirt over a black spagetti strap, with jeans, not too tight to look trashy, but just enough to show off her legs. 

Ron had felt like he was dead and seeing an angel. She looked beutiful. Well, she always looked beutiful, but he had never seen her like this. 

"Wow," Harry stuttered out, "you look amazing." 

"Angel," Ron muttered, offering her his hand. She blushed for only a moment before taking it. 

**** 

Hermione still looked that beutiful. Ron kept his gaze on her face as he whispered a few words, and her bed magically moved strait towards his. Knowing she was out cold swallowed the fear he had inside himself, he wouldn't dare attempt this if she was awake. Softly, he began to brush her check. 

**** 

"This must be what, his fifteenth girl now?" Ron asked Hermione in amusment. They were both watching Harry, who had been asked to dance by every girl in the school, somewhat of a line had even formed. 

"Feeling left out?" Hermione asked with a grin, "Come on, I love this song," she exclaimed as a muggle tune came on, "dance?" 

"How could I say no to a whinny little brat like you?" Ron asked mockingly. 

"Shut up," she replied with a killer smile as she pulled him onto the dance floor. She wrapped placed her hands around his neck, after showing him where his hands went. 

"You're so innocent sometimes," she muttered as the words began. 

"It felt like spring time on this, February morning, 

in a courtyard, birds were singing your name, 

I'm still recalling things you said to make me feel alright, 

and carried them with me, today 

and now as I lay me down to sleep, 

yes I pray, that you will hold me dear. 

though I'm faraway I'll whisper your name 

into the sky, and I will wake up happy." 

"Hey, Hermi?" Ron asked quietly in her ear. During the first part of the song, the distance between them had slowly begun to shrunk. 

"Yea?" she whispered back. 

"Why didn't you go home at Christmas?" 

"Why would I want too?" 

"You've got everything, you've got both parents, a ton of money,..." 

"Money isn't everything Ron," she said pulling back from him to look into his ice blue eyes, "sure my family's got plenty, but how could you imagine what they're like? They're whole attitude about me is, 'We've got you something new, now go play with it like a good little girl, and don't bother us, we've got more important things to do than love you like parents should,'" at this tears began to form in her eyes, "Ron, I look at your family, and I'm jealous. You're parents, your brothers, Ginny, they all love you. No, one's ever loved me. I never had any friends before Hogwarts, not any real friends. Just the kids who wanted the right answers on their tests," she finished before starting to cry. Ron just pulled her head onto his shoulder and held her. 

"I wonder why, 

I feel so high, though I am not above the sorrow, 

every heartache, till you call my name, 

and it sounds like churchbells, 

on the whistle of a train, on a summer's, 

evening, harbored to meet you barefoot, 

barely breathing, and as I lay me down to sleep, 

yes I pray that you will hold me dear. 

Thought I'm faraway I'll whisper you name into the sky, 

and I will wake up happy, 

it's not to near for me, that the flower I need to rain 

with my tears to me every season has it's change, 

and I will see you when the sun comes down again. 

As I lay me down, to sleep, yes I pray, that you will hold me dear. 

Thought I'm far away, I'll whisper your name into the sky, and I will wake up happy." 

"Thank you Ron," Hermione whispered as she pulled away. 

**** 

Now Ron played the song over and over in his mind. That had been the first time she had cried to him since they were in the third year. 

Though I'm far away, I'll whisper your name into the sky, 

and I will wake up happy. 

Ron remembered the song as he ran his hand over her lips. To his surprise he felt them move, muttering a name, then resting with a soft smile. As he returned her bed to it's original position and moved to sleep, he prayed it was his. 

**** 

Harry watched his two best friends sleeping, while he went over the events that had happened over a week ago, and only one question continued in his mind. Why Hermione? What had Voldemort wanted with her? And how had he known that Voldemort did want her? 

**** 

"You don't need to fight me boy, it is not your time," Voldemort had driven that thought into Harry's mind, "I just want the girl." 

"Hermione?" Harry whispered. 

"Yes,...." 

**** 

But that was after he had sent Hermione off with Ron. How had he known then? 

Suddenly, it hit him. He hadn't known. But his love for Hermione had run so deep, and for Ron as well, that he wanted them to get out of there, not to see the battle which he had presumed to be for his life. 

**** 

"Don't you want to take me?" Harry had uttered still standing. 

"No, it is not your time!" Voldemort had thundered before throwing the green light at Harry. His last thoughts dwelled on his friends. 

**** 

Ron's movements startled Harry out of his thoughts. 

"What?" he had said in his usual rough manor. 

"Just thinking about Voldemort." 

"Could you say, You-Know-Who?" 

"Could you possibly get over it?" 

"Could you two possibly be any louder?" 

"Hermione!" the two best friends yelled together, whipping around, only to find her back asleep. 

"Close enough," Ron muttered with a grin, "close enough for Mrs. Diana Chandler anyway." 

**** 

Harry hated staying with the Dursleys, and this summer had been the worst yet. His text books read through three times each, Harry couldn't wait to start his fifth year at Hogwarts. With a sigh, he threw himself down on this bed, opening up Potions for Young Wizards and Witches for a fourth time. He began on page one once again, when he heard his uncle from down stairs. 

"Harry Potter, I want you down here this instant!" 

Harry rolled his eyes, and slid off of his bed, and sullenly slinked down to the kitchen, the source of the voice. 

"Sit," Vernon had ordered, and Harry quickly obliged, "I'm having a dinner tomorrow night, a very important client," he stressed to the rest of the family and Harry, "big company, this could be my big break. Now the owners, the Chandler's, won't be joining us, but they're sending their daughter Diana, and her boyfriend Alex, over here. They're both seventeen, and this is supposedly some kind of training for them," at this Vernon snorted, as if a deal with him could be classified as training. He obviously wasn't pleased the Chandler's were meeting him in person, "Now, we'll have the standard drill, won't we?" he asked threateningly to Harry. 

"Yes, sir," Harry replied with a board sigh. Another night alone. How predictable. 

Harry was hovering at the top of the stairs when he heard the door bell ring the next night. He quickly darted into the shadows and let his gaze flow down the stairs to the door. When it opened, what it revealed shocked Harry. 

It was Hermione and Ron. With Hermione's hair a perfect blond, and Ron's hair streaked with brown, they looked amazingly different, truly like they were seventeen, and the Dursley's would never recognize them, only meeting Harry's two best friends once before. 

And just like before, Dudley thought Hermione was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. 

"May I take your coat Miss Chandler?" Dudley cooed in a sickeningly sweet voice. Hermione apparently thought so, because she carelessly tossed her coat over his head, much to Harry and Ron's surprise, even though Ron was quick to cover it up. 

"Care to join us in the dining room?" Harry heard his aunt call from downstairs. 

"Of course." 

"You have a nephew here, don't you?" 'Diana' asked with a pleasant smile after they had all sat down, "My father does a background check on all of his customers," she quickly explained when the Dursley's all got a confused expression on their face, "he'll be joining us, I hope?" 

"Of course," Vernon replied, "Dudley, go get your Harry." 

"Yes, sir," Dudley muttered. 

Hermione had been very professional all during the dinner, smiling, and basically roping the Dursleys around her pinkie finger. Even when Vernon began to question her on drills, she responded quickly and easily, she had evidently been doing some extra reading. 

"We've got a few papers my father needs you too look at, Alex, will you be a doll, and go get those? Harry would you mind helping him, there are quite a lot," Hermione said directly after desert. 

"Of course darling," Ron replied with a sweet smile, then motioned for Harry to follow him. The two stumped out the front door, where Harry saw the knight train waiting for them, "Perfect," he heard Ron mutter, "now, for Hermione." 

"I'm just seeing what's keeping them," they heard her call as a door slammed. The noise was followed by a slam of the knight train's doors, and Hermione appeared. 

"Ugh," she said, looking over at the two boys, "I'm going to go take a shower, get this gunk out of my hair." 

**** 

When Harry had turned around he had seen George and Fred, the two who had snuck in to get Harry's things during dinner. Remembering, Harry shook his head. Hermione and Ron were two of the best friends anyone could have. 

But he had been one of the best too them as well. There was everytime he had stood up to Draco for Ron, and Hermione, how many times had she cried into his arms? Too many times too count. 

**** 

Harry crept down the stairs, almost too scared to make a noise. Something had kept him awake, and he had decided to go for a walk through the building, but knew he'd get detention if caught. Nightmares or no nightmares, Potter or no Potter, students didn't wander around at night. 

Descending the stairs in the invisibility cloak, Harry could hear a small noise coming from the corner of the room. Turning his head, he noticed it was Hermione, curled up in a chair, sobbing silently into a huge book on Weeds. Harry immediately recognized it as the extra assignment she was working on for Herbology. 

"Hermi, what's wrong?" Harry whispered as he moved closer, taking off the cloak. Hermione never said anything, just shoved a paper towards him. Gingerly picking it up, Harry began to read. 

Dear Hermione: 

Hermione, your father and I regret to inform you that we'll be gone on a cruise this summer. It will last for two months, traveling from Florida to Brazil, and we have made arrangements for you too take care of your Grandfather Granger in the hospital. You'll have a room in the Hilton across the road. Ring if something happens. 

Mum and Dad 

"I thought I would actually be able to see them this summer," she whispered, "but they don't love me. They don't even care." 

"They're just leaving you to take care of your grandfather?" Harry asked in amazement. He was sure his parents would have never... 

"No, the hospital just sent me word this morning that he died," she sobbed, "my parents should be finding out at breakfast tomorrow." 

"Oh, Hermi," he whispered, then sat down on the chair with her. He pulled her into his lap, removing the book, and the roll of parchment, which he'd help her finish later. 

"He was the only one who ever cared about me," she muttered into his chest, referring to her grandfather. 

"I'm sorry," Harry repeated over and over into her ear, stroking her hair. He slowly rocked her back and forth, waiting for her to fall into a deep sleep, such as she always did when she cried. After a few moments, her whimpers were silent, and her breathing deep. Pulling the cloak over them both, he crept up to the girls dormitory, lying Hermione down to sleep, then returned to his own bed. 

**** 

The boys only had to stay in the medicine room two days after they woke up, both recovered quickly. Harry spend the rest of the day in books, seeing as classes had been canceled to restore Hogwarts. While the rest of the school rebuild the ruins, Harry and Ron poured over books to find out why Voldemort had been after Hermione. Madame Pomfrey had declared them too weak too work. 

It was only after fifteen different books that Harry began to put together the pieces. 

Hermione felt horrible. She could barely lift her arms, and she struggled to make a sound to alert Madame Pomfrey that she was awake. Struggling, she managed to whimper. 

"Hermione!" Pomfrey exclaimed, and rushed over to the girls bedside, "Oh, thank goodness. I'm sure you're completely drained of energy. Of course you are, you've been out cold for three days strait." 

"Ron?" Hermione managed to uttered. 

"Ron? Oh, yes, he's fine, and Harry too," Pomfrey reassured her, "the two of them have been in the library for quite some time now." 

"Can they come see me?" 

"Of course not!" 

It took several days of soup and bread for Hermione to have any strength at all. She was very glad when she was put back onto fruits, even vegetables, with Madame Pomfrey telling her she could handle them. But not chocolate. 

Hermione had been awake for almost a week when Madame Pomfrey had first let anyone in to see her. But it had all been worth it when she saw Ron's smiling face, and the trunk he was dragging behind him. 

"I brought you some things," he said blushing a brilliant red that perfectly matched his hair. 

Ron sat down on Hermione's bed, and opened up the trunk. Hermione had been glad when Pomfrey had left, leaving the two alone in the room. Her attention was brought back when Ron set a CD player on the chair across from them. 

"Lavender lent it to me," he quickly explained, then, muttering too himself, pushed the play button. Softly at first, but then growing to a beautiful hum, Hermione recognized the song as the one she and Ron had danced to in Hogsmeade. 

"Our song?" she asked with a smile. 

"Yea," he said blushing again, and reaching back into the trunk. He pulled out a dish, with a metal cover over it. He set it down on Hermione's food table that was swung in front of her, and pulled the top off. Hermione began to laugh when she saw the steak and baked potato underneath. 

"Ron!" she exclaimed, remembering her favorite foods. She almost completely lost it when he began to pour sweet tea for her. 

"Ron, this is the sweetest thing anyone's ever done for me," she whispered. 

"Oh, well, it was nothing." 

Hermione smiled, and picked up the knife to cut the steak, but found she was still to weak to cut a full steak. Blushing furiously, she handed the knife and fork over to Ron, who took it, and cut up her meal. She took a bite, and chewed it slowly while watching Ron. As she swallowed, he looked up into her eyes, and Hermione could feel the tears coming to her eyes. She barely noticed when Ron pushed the table out of the way, and leaned closer, until his lips finally touched hers. Only kissing her for a moment, Ron pulled back. To Hermione's surprise, neither she or him were blushing. 

"I better go," he whispered, then kissed her once again. He stood up, and pulled the trunk behind him, leaving the food and CD playing. 

"Thanks Hermione," he whispered before he took off. 

"till you call my name, 

and it sounds like churchbells, 

on the whistle of a train, on a summer's, 

evening," 

Hermione was still smiling when Harry came in. He raised his eyebrows, then looked over his shoulders at where Ron had just left. 

"I'm guessing I wasn't missed," he said jokingly. 

"Not at all," Hermione said with a grin, as she pulled the steak back around, and took another bite. 

"Hermi, I need to talk to you about something. Can I see your thumb?" Harry said as he sat down in the same spot Ron had just left. 

"Um, sure," she answered holding out her thumb. Harry inspected it for a moment, then sighed. 

"That's what I thought," he said letting go, "I know why Voldemort was after you." 

"Why?" she whispered, pulling the sheets up around her a little more. 

"You're a direct heir of Gryffindor. Before Godric Gryffindor died, he locked all of his treasures, which was quite a lot, and many powerful light sided spells into a tomb in Egypt. It could only be opened by his thumbprint, which he enchanted to be passed down through generations. Even your mum had it." 

"Then why didn't he go after her?" Hermione interrupted. 

"He did," Harry replied sullenly, "Hermi, your parents are dead. Voldemort meant to keep your mum's thumb, but it was destroyed with the rest of her, his plan back fired. This happened about a week ago. I'm sorry." 

What surprised Harry the most, was that Hermione didn't cry. She didn't even look bothered. She just nodded her head, and looked at him as if she expected him to continue. 

"He'll come back for you. I'll protect you, and I know Ron will. Of course you'll have the safety of the school, of Dumbledore, but..." he let his words hang in the air for a moment, "It'll be hard. Classes have been canceled for the rest of the year, but students are being forced to remain on campus. It's safest here, together, with Dumbledore. Basically, there's just going to be Defense against the Dark Arts from all the teachers." 

"Of course," Hermione answered, nodding her head. 

"Harry Potter, I want you out of here now!" Madame Pomfrey ordered, bustling back into the room, "That girl has enough on her mind, but don't worry, she'll be well enough in a few days to rejoin your little trio. Now out!" 

"Don't worry, Hermi, Ron and I will take care of you," Harry said reassuringly as he was whisked out of the door. 

"Thank you Harry," Hermione whispered after him. 

"I'm still recalling things you said to make me feel all right, 

and carried them with me, today." 


	3. Showers part 3

Part 3  
  
  
  
Disclaimer: Not mine.  
  
  
  
A/N: I have no clue what this part is going to be about. But it won't be as fluffy as the last part, I promise you that. I didn't mean to turn that into a songfic.   
  
  
  
Hermione could hear her footsteps as she ran down the hall. A big grin covered her face, as she sharply turned a corner to Gryffindor.   
  
"Flabbergast!" she breathed to the Fat Lady, and entered the common room as the portrait swung open, "Ron!" she called, as she ran up to the red haired boy.  
  
"Hermione!" Ron exclaimed as he picked her up, and swung her around, "All better?" he asked nervously.  
  
"Yea," she whispered, the kiss still fresh in her mind, "um, Ron, we need to talk."  
  
"We do," he answered with a sigh, "but let's wait until after dinner."  
  
"Sounds good," Hermione replied as Harry appeared from the stairs leading to the boys dormitory, "Harry!"  
  
"Hey Hermi," Harry said as he gave her a hug.  
  
"Harry, I've got some questions," Hermione whispered as Harry let go of her.  
  
"Miss Know-It-All, has a question?" Harry asked with amusement, "All right, like what?"  
  
"Well, I haven't had time to go the library, obviously," Hermione retorted, "besides, the library wouldn't have helped me. What happened to You-Know-Who?"  
  
"Left his body to rot, his spirit vanished. He's powerful Hermi, more powerful than me or Dumbledore. But you shouldn't be worried about that. We're all working together. There's no I in team."  
  
"No, but there's an M and an E," Hermione retorted back, surprising Harry with her sarcasm, "Sorry," she muttered.  
  
"Sure you are," Harry said with a grin, "anything else?"  
  
"Yea, um....." Hermione trailed off as she searched for words.   
  
"Let's sit," Harry replied, leading her outside and to a bench, "And yes, Ron did mention something too me."  
  
"And?" Hermione encouraged him to continue.  
  
"And what? He likes you, but I think that was fairly obvious. Do I think he'll ask you out?" Harry continued seeing Hermione's mouth getting ready to form another question, "That I don't know. I think Ron's scared of commitment, but you don't need to tell him I said that," he finished with a grin.   
  
"I won't," Hermione promised, "but why...?"  
  
"Oh jeez, I don't know Hermione," Harry said with a sigh.   
  
"Okay, well thanks Harry, and from now on I'll take over the library research," Hermione joked as she stood up.  
  
"Thanks, finding that thumb stuff almost killed me," Harry replied back with a smile.  
  
"See ya at dinner," Hermione called as she went upstairs to take a shower.  
  
  
  
****  
  
  
  
Feeling the water pouring over her head, Hermione was glad she could take another shower. Oh sure, Madame Pomfrey had cleaned her up, but Hermione still loved her showers. The grin fell from her face as she remembered her last shower, where she had been left with her why's and her guilt. Now the why's were answered, but the guilt remained. Her two best friends had almost died because of her.  
  
And now there was the question of Ron. What would she do with that? She was sure she didn't love him...yet. But hadn't she just been thinking a few weeks ago, that she could? And she was positive that one that she would. But Harry had told her that Ron was one to be afraid of commitment. She refused to get her hopes up.  
  
  
  
****  
  
  
  
But by dinner it had been to late for Hermione. Hopes soaring through her heart, she tapped her foot on the hard concrete, waiting for Ron to meet her by the bench. She glanced at the sun, it'd be going down soon. With a sign, Hermione plopped down onto the bench, and watched the sun set. Had she been stood up?  
  
As suddenly as the last colors of the sun had faded from the sky, Hermione heard a sound from the bushes. She jumped up, every bone in her body, praying, hoping it was Ron. But it wasn't. It was Malfoy.  
  
  
  
****  
  
  
  
Harry was off in a dead run as soon as he heard them. Crabbe and Goyle, discussing, well maybe that wasn't the right word. Crabbe and Goyle were both to thick to hold a conversation, but they had been doubting Malfoy. A good sign, Harry was sure of when the first began to over hear them. But soon, he had changed his mind.  
  
  
  
****  
  
  
  
"I don't think he can do it," Goyle had grunted in-between bites of his turkey. Neither had noticed Harry, his back facing theirs, his ears absorbing their thoughts.  
  
"Of course he can't, Malfoy can't do nuttin," Crabbe replied. Harry allowed a smile onto his face.  
  
"You seriously think Granger's going to blindly follow him out into the Forbidden Forest to find Weasel? She won't trust Malfoy," Goyle agreed. Harry had sat up strait. Only a moment passed while he registered the words, and then he took off for the Forbidden Forest.  
  
  
  
****  
  
  
  
"Hermione! In the forest, Weasel!" Malfoy gasped as he stumbled out of the bushes, "Ow, shit," he muttered as a thorn pricked his thumb.  
  
"Right Malfoy," Hermione said in a deadpan voice, as she carefully sat back down. One could never be to careful around a Slytherin.  
  
'Damn, plan one screwed,' Malfoy thought. But, for him anyway, Malfoy wasn't the kind of idiot who jumped into something over his head with only one means of escape. "You don't believe me? You little mudblood, your best friend is out in the forest, being ready to be torn to bits by a wolf, and you don't even care?" Malfoy studied Hermione's face carefully, and saw a reaction as she began to imagine the sight.   
  
"Shut up Malfoy," Hermione replied, turning her head. As she did, something caught her eye. Ron's owl, that Sirius Black had given him after Scabbers had....well...turned away. The little owl landed easily in her hand, with a small note attached to her. With trembling hands, she unrolled it. What if Malfoy wasn't lying?  
  
  
  
H-  
  
Forbidden forest, get help, DON'T COME!  
  
  
  
The handwriting was sloppy, very possibly Ron's, and had been scrawled on a ripped sheet of parchment. Hermione flipped it over, recognizing it as the Charms homework Ron had been working on.   
  
"I'm ...sorry" Hermione stuttered as she stood up suddenly. She hesitated only a second before running head first into the Forbidden Forest.  
  
  
  
****  
  
  
  
"What'd you do with her?" Harry gasped as he pulled Malfoy around to meet his eye, "Where's Hermi?"  
  
"Out on her little crusade to find her 'missing' boyfriend, I doubt she'll be back at Hogwarts next year. Especially when Dumbledore and McGonagall find out what she's done. Going into the Forbidden Forest alone. She should know better," Malfoy recited with a smirk.   
  
"You low-down, cheating, son of a bitch," Harry spat back. Not waiting for a reply, he turned on his heels, and raced out toward the Forbidden Forest.  
  
  
  
A/N: All right, so that part was short....real short. I'm sorry, I hate short fanfics. But I did set it up for a good part 4. Hopefully it won't take as long :oO!!  
  
  



	4. Showers part 4

Part 4  
  
  
By:Hermione L. Granger  
  
  
Disclaimer:So not mine.   
  
  
A/N: This part should be long. I was actually going to make this a seperate fanfic, and then decided, hey, it could happen!  
  
  
  
"Shit," Hermione cussed out loud, "Why'd I ever listen to Malfoy? I've lost it." She turned around in circles, and sure enough, she was lost. Ron wasn't out here, he never had been. She had fallen for Malfoy's sick little joke. And now she'd be expelled.   
  
"As if things couldn't get any worse," she muttered. First the attack, then the kiss, and now, when things were really begginning to look up, she'd be expelled. Why couldn't of Ron just been out there to meet her, and everything work into happily ever after?   
  
"Damn you Hermione, you got your hopes up," she said to herself. Figuring the safest thing she could do was sit, she sat at the base of a tree, pulling her knees up to her chest. She exhaaled loudly, waiting for someone to find her, hopefully before a true wolf. Glancing up at the moon, she noticed it was full. That was not a good sign. She closed her eyes to wait.  
  
  
****  
  
  
  
"Hermione!" a voice calls. Her head flies up in amazment.   
  
"Harry!" she sobs as she runs at the voice, throwing her arms around it's so familiar figure, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean too..."  
  
"Sh, Hermi I know you didn't mean it. I'm one of the sharpest tools in the shed," Harry replies with a grin.  
  
"And so you are," Hermione answers with a grin, "It was just....when Thomas said...Harry, he told me he hoped I rotted in hell. That I didn't give a damn about him, all I cared about was that damn Harry Potter and his adventures! I didn't mean to yell at you," she finishes sheeply, letting go of Harry.  
  
"I always said that boy would only break your heart," Harry whispers.   
  
"Harry don't..."Hermione began to whisper, but was cut off by Harry's finger covering her mouth. Carefully, he began to move towards her. And what scared Hermione, was her towards him.  
  
  
****  
  
  
  
"Huh?" Hermione said as she sat up with a start. She had fallen asleep at the base of the tree, for about two hours she guessed from the position of the moon. But the dream confused her more than the questions of how she'd get back did. Sure that had happened, all of it up until the kiss. She remembered Thomas telling her she was too involved with Harry and Ron like it was yesterday, her running into the night like it had just happened. And Harry had followed her, but nothing happened. He comforted her, but never kissed her. He'd never do something like that.  
  
"Hermione!"   
  
Hermione's head whipped up in the irony that the voice belonged to the same on in her dream. And just as she photocopied the dream, she ran up to him, hugging him with all her might. Swinging her around, Harry set her down on the ground carefully.   
  
"Are you okay?" he said breathlessly.  
  
"Yea, I'm fine. Harry we aren't going to be expelled are we?"  
  
"Not if we get back to the castle before someone sees us."  
  
"I'm afraid that won't be possible," a voice droned from the shadows.  
  
  
****  
  
"Professor McGongall, they're gone!" Ron practaclly screamed in the witch's face. Ron hadn't seen Hermione or Harry all night, and now that lunch had gotten here, he was worried. No, more than worried. He was afraid. Afraid with Voldemort around.  
  
"Well maybe someone else saw them," she replied sensably, even though Ron could tell that inside, she was panicing. The Harry Potter, gone? That would be too horrible to imagine. Plus, the best seeker Hogwarts had seen in years.  
  
"I'll....contact Dumbledore," McGongall muttered giving into her fears.  
  
"Don't bother, I'll go see him myself," Ron spat before marching out of her office.  
  
  
****  
  
Harry could hear his heart hammering in his chest as they ran. Carefully, he watched his steps, if one of them fell, they'd be dead. Pulling Hermione behind a tree, they just barely missed one of Voldemort's blasts.   
  
Sure Harry could of fought him. Again. But he would have lost. Something deep down, a little voice that sounded an awful lot like his dad's told him he couldn't win this time, to run for it. But he and Hermione had been running for two hours now. They had to get away.   
  
Harry prepared to take off again, when he felt Hermione pull on his arm. With amazement, he wached as she tapped the base of the trunk three times, and it gave way to a rather large chamber type place. Not giving it a second thought, he and Hermione dove in.  
  
  
****  
  
"Mr. Weasley, we'll have to wait until morning," Dumbledore repeated as Ron gazed out into the darkness of the night. Harry and Hermione had been gone for a day now. Where were they? Were they alive? Ron allowed the thoughts to run through his head as he headed back to his dorm, escourted by Nearly Headless Nick.  
  
"Tough break son," was all Nick uttered the whole trip.  
  
Tired and a mess, Ron truged up the stairs to the boys dorm. Normally he'd collapse into bed, but tonight he needed to think. He altered his course for the only shower in the boy's dormitory.  
  
  
****  
  
"We'll have to wait until morning," Ron muttered, going over Dumbledore's words in his head. In his state, he had forgotten to ask Dumbledore what exactly tommorow would bring. For all he knew, tommorow would be nothing more than classes. Ron sighed as he let the warm water hit his head, and flow down his back. They were all in some serious shit now.  
  
  
****  
  
"Looks like we're stuck down here," Harry mumbled after a while. For the past 20 minutes he had been studing the walls, looking for a way out. They couldn't stay in here forever. However, Hermione had been worring him. She just sat on the ground, next to her wand that had been lit up, thinking.  
  
"Herm, are you okay?" Harry asked as he sat down next to her.  
  
"Yeah, I'm just thinking. Harry, why was I so weak when you and Ron were in the medicine room? Why did I just act like the pathetic little damesel in distress who couldn't get on with her life with out her knight in shining armor?" Hermione said in a horse voice.  
  
"It's called shock Hermione," Harry answered with a grin, "and I was flattered the way you responded. Now mind you, had you continuely acted like that if Ron and I had died," they both shuddered at this, "I would have been disappointed. You are strong Hermione. You could have moved on eaisly. But the fact that you loved us both enough to mourn, shows that you must care about us. You..." Harry stopped abrubtly, biting his tongue at what he had almost said.  
  
"I didn't care about my parents death?" Hermione asked for him, "No, I didn't. Because they didn't love me Harry. You and Ron do."  
  
"Thanks for making us see that Herm," Harry said as he rose, "now help me find a way out of here, Hogwarts is bound to get worried."  
  
  
****  
  
"Last night, Harry Potter and Hermione Granger disappeared. Does anyone have any clue on where they might be?" Dumbledore announced at breakfast the next morning. Ron heard a few snickers, and recalled that it was common dirt gossip that Hermione and Harry shagged regularly. With a roll of his eyes, Ron shot his twin brothers looks. The snickering stopped.   
  
Out of the corner of his eye, Dumbledore saw two very uncomfortable young men. Closing his eyes, Dumbledore carfully chose his next words.  
  
"If you have information, but would like to remain annonoymus, please send an owl to me by lunch this afternoon. If you don't, I doubt Harry and Hermione will live much longer," finishing his speech, Dumbledore sat, more of his energy gone now than ever before. Harry had been the son he never had to him, much like James had. And Dumbledore wasn't quite sure if he could handle two deaths.  
  
  
****  
  
"Alright!" came the words of Harry Potter, floating up the air. He pulled himself through the small hole that had crumbled out of the wall when he had hit it. Turning around, Harry reached out his hand to help Hermione up.   
  
"Ready to find Hogwarts?" he asked with an optimisitic grin.   
  
"Of course," Hermione answered. The sky was a perfect blue, There was only one small thin white cloud in the sky. Forgetting the confusion of the night before, Harry and Hermione blindly set off for Hogwarts, neither truely knowing the way.  
  
  
****  
  
"Alright!" came the voice of Albus Dumbledore, thundering out onto the crowd. The whole school of Hogwarts was assembled, all in teams of three, ready to look for the famous Harry Potter. The owl sent in right before lunch had explained the plan Malfoy had cooked up. He was currently between Professor McGongall, and Remus Lupin, who had returned when he heard Harry had been missing. Neither looked happy.  
  
"Split up, everyone. Send up green sparks if you find them, send up red if your in trouble. Meet back at Enchanted Lake in two hours if no one's found anything," Dumbledore called. Slowly but surely, the group split up.  
  
Ron was the first one to take off towards the forest, barely waiting for Seamus and Dean. The two chased after him, but Ron was intent, he had even grabbed Harry's firebolt, ready to take off in an instant.   
  
  
****  
  
Harry and Hermione collapsed behind a tree. They'd be safe for the moment. Voldemort had found them, chasing the two people he wanted dead more than anything deeper and deeper into the forest.  
  
For the past hour they had been chased, hiding for only seconds, maybe a minute at a time. If they were lucky. So far they had been. Something was keeping them safe.  
  
Hearing another blast behind them, Harry and Hermione took off, going into a small ditch. Just in front of them was a cliff.   
  
"Let's jump," Harry gasped, the first words either had spoken in a good hour.   
  
"Are you insane?" Hermione breathed back, "That leads into the Enchanted Lake. Thousands of Muggle souls are in there, and they'll pull you down, and sufficate you if you go in there. They won't let go Harry, we'll die!"  
  
"Are you crazy?" Harry answered, "The fall'll probably kill ya."  
  
Hermione allowed herself to let out a breath of laughter, then looked strait into Harry's eyes. It was the only way.  
  
  
****  
  
It was over. The whole school had combed every inch of the Forbiddean Forest. With a hopeless look in his eyes, Ron looked over to the cliff, just beyond the Enchanted Lake. Were they there? No one, not even Dumbledore or Hagrid had dared to cross that section of the Forest, eviler things than could lurk in young childs dreams lived there. Unspecable things, events there were cruler than even Voldemort could've imagined. If they were there, they were as good as dead.  
  
Ron looked down at the Firebolt he was leaning on. 'He would've wanted you to have it.' Dubledore's words vibrated in the head. Wanted. Ron would never see Harry alive again, he would never kiss Hermione's smiling face. Hell, he probably wouldn't see his parents again either. If his friends were dead, Voldemort was back. And this time he'd have no mercy.  
  
Letting his eyes wonder over the cliff, he began to stare intently at the edge. Not wanting to think about his friends, he shut everything else out. He was just beginning to cry when he heard it. His eyes snapped up, he could see two people, one with black hair that looked worse than Ron had ever seen it. And Ron had seen Harry looking pretty bad. But holding onto Harry's hand, screaming at the top of her lungs, her bush brown hair being pulled away from her face.  
  
Before he knew what was happening, Ron felt himself flying. Taking a split second, he realized he was on the Firebolt, hurling towards them, faster than he was sure Harry had ever gone. He had one chance to catch them.  
  
  
****  
  
Hermione grabbed Harry's hand, and the two of them ran for it. Allowing herself to scream, Hermione could feel her hair being lifted, she could feel as if she was flying. Her screams ended as she relaxed, she hadn't felt like this since she was five, jumping off swings at the local playground. But reality grabbed her by the arm. Or rather, Ron did. Where Hermione had been expecting to hit the dead souls screaming below them, Ron's smiling face, streaked with tears, was holding onto her. He pulled his two best friends up, just as Hermione began to feel the pains in her arm.   
  
Ron had put Harry's unconcious form on the broom, using a small spell to keep him on. He then turned around to face Hermione. Without saying a word, he kissed her. She couldn't feel her arm, she couldn't hear the shouts of the school on the shore as the Firebolt slowly moved towards them. Pulling back, Ron looked into Hermione's eyes, then kissed her again.  
  
  
  
  
A/N: Not as long as I expected it to be. I'll have to go back and work on it, but it'll do for now. I'll work on an Epilogue. Thanks for reading!! 


	5. Showers Epilogue

Showers epilogue  
  
By:Hermione L. Granger  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own these...things.  
  
A/N: I realized I left a few open ends. Okay, I left alot of open ends, but hey, that's what this is for.  
  
Ron looked down at the girl in his arms. He had never been happier. Kissing the top of her head, he stood up, and walked over to the stack of books waiting for him. The whole school was working extra hard to make up for the lost time. Some, like Harry, were even staying at Hogwarts over the summer to catch up. Hermione planned on staying for June, but she and Ron had already planned to visit his brother Charlie.  
  
Opening his book, Muggles Through the Years, Ron smiled. Who would've thought a unicorn would kill Voldemort.   
  
"Voldemort," he whispered as he picked up his quill to take notes. Ron was still having trouble saying the name. It was hard to beleive that he was dead. Gone forever. The truely evil part of the Forbiddean Forest had gotten the best of the truely evil part of their lives.   
  
But that was fine with him. He didn't want some horribe thing coming after them. He didn't want anything to ruin this happily ever after. 


End file.
